Scholarships & Grants

The East-West Center (EWC) is an educational and research organization established by the United States Congress in 1960. In Honolulu, Hawaii, the EWC holds the annual Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Program Fulbright Scholarship: Women’s Political Empowerment in Asia, the Pacific and the United States.

This course brings together women from the United States and the Asia-Pacific region that have the potential to effect change in their communities to explore critical issues surrounding women’s leadership.

In 2006, Hasina received Fulbright Scholarship through EWC for the Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Program, which provided her with the opportunity to meet with many fellow women leaders from other countries, and included a course in Hawaii, and networking practicals in Thailand.

The leadership program consisted of a seminar incorporating leadership development workshops, panel presentations, and site visits around Hawaii followed by a study tour to Thailand where participants met with women leaders in Thai government, international organizations, and civil society. The program concluded with regional networking meetings and site visits in Bangkok and Surat Thani province.

Women in Management

In November 2002, Hasina received a scholarship to attend a two-part Women in Management training course, sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and organized by Centek, in affiliation with the International Training and Development Centre at Sweden’s Lulea University.

The first part of the course provided 26 international invitees a one-month training course in Sweden that focused on strengthening leadership skills and creating a network with other women leaders in management.

The course provided information on a variety of topics: gender aspects of leadership; the principle of equality between women and men in managerial issues; personal development in the role of a female leader; career planning and obstacles for advancement; cultural, systematic, and structural factors behind lack of gender equality; strategic planning, how to create participation, and how to delegate and give responsibility; project management; organizational development and how to manage change processes; and project planning.

The second part of the course took place in the Philippines in October 2003 in association with the Asian Institute of Management. In addition to providing additional leadership training, participants presented project work that was proposed during the earlier training.

Hasina’s project, “Gender Integration in Programming and Management Policies,” examined the governing boards of institutions with respect to gender leadership and was recognized for its innovation.

U.S. Department of State – International Visitors Program

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the International Visitors Program brings international visitors, nominated by American Foreign Service posts, to the United States.

In 2004, the program was renamed as The International Visitor Leadership Program. The aim of the programme is to promote the general interests of international education and cultural exchange for a period of travel, observation, consultation, professional development and experience.

In 2002, Hasina was selected for the programme due to her role as a leader in the non-governmental sector in India.

As one of four representatives from India, she attended a group project on “NGO Management.” The 18-day programme provided attendees with a variety of programs on topics ranging from technology and infrastructure to the U.S. non-profit organisations’ relationship with federal and state government.

The programme also addressed strategies for improving the effectiveness of NGOs. The working sessions took place in Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle, Tulsa, and New York City.